The reasons kids get into trouble in one way or another is because - Who ever told them they were special?

All of my books are based in some way on my personal experiences, or the experiences of members of my family, or the stories kids would tell me in school.

I have no special talent, you know. I never took a writing course before I began to write.

I loved teaching. It was my world. I only left because I was overwhelmed with three careers - teaching, writing, and my family.

Anyone who has problems, or worries, anyone who laughs and cries, anyone who feels can write. It's only talking on paper... talking about the things that matter to us.

I want to see children curled up with books, finding an awareness of themselves as they discover other people's thoughts. I want them to make the connection that books are people's stories, that writing is talking on paper, and I want them to write their own stories. I'd like my books to provide that connection for them.